New Documents Suggest Sandusky Cover-Up at Penn State

New documents uncovered from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office indicate that a top Penn State official kept a file about sexual assault allegations against former football coach Jerry Sandusky, and that he and the University president agreed that it would be "humane" to not report Sandusky to authorities. NBC News first reported yesterday that former Penn State president Graham Spanier and vice president Gary Schultz were not only aware of a 2001 allegation that Sandusky has raped a young boy in a school locker room, but they investigated the legal ramifications of the charges and then agreed to spare Sandusky by not turning him into child services.

On Tuesday, KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh added to the story, saying they obtained copies of a file that was kept by Schultz that showed that several top Penn State officials knew about the charges. The files would also contradict direct statements that Schultz and former athletic director Tim Curley gave to investigators. Schultz and Curley both face perjury charges for allegedly lying to the grand jury investigating Sandsuky. All three men have lost their jobs at the school.

Depending on the exact contents of the emails obtained by the Attorney General, Spanier himself could now face legal charges. The documents were uncovered by an internal probe headed by former FBI Director Louis Freeeh and according to KDKA:

Those documents filed by the Attorney General’s office late Monday indicate Schultz told so many lies in his Grand Jury testimony that it was impossible to respond to each and every one of them.

Sandusky's trial began yesterday and immediately got under way with graphic and disturbing testimony from one of his alleged victims, who claimed that Sandusky forced him to perform numerous instances of oral sex, offered him gifts and other access to the Penn State football team, and then harrassed the boy when he tried to distance himself from the coach. He also claimed that Sandusky had him sign a contract offering him money if the boy (now in his twenties) would remain in contact.

More victims are expected to offer similar testimony today. Assistant coach Mike McQueary, who made the 2001 report to university officials after he witnessed Sandusky in the shower with a young boy, is expected to testify on Wednesday.

News reports are focusing on the Germanwings pilot's possible depression, following a familiar script in the wake of mass killings. But the evidence shows violence is extremely rare among the mentally ill.